(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle door molding structure, and more particularly, to a vehicle door molding structure that is installed along an upper edge of the vehicle's rear door and can improve aesthetic appearance.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Conventional vehicle frame doors have a structure in which a door inner panel and a door outer panel combine together to form a door frame structure, and a door frame forming a door window is connected onto the door inner panel and the door outer panel. Such vehicle frame doors are advantageous in terms of weight and cost, but there are drawbacks such as corrosion or deterioration in aesthetic appearance.
Typically, a door molding made of stainless steel is attached to a door frame along an upper edge, in order to improve the aesthetic appearance of the door.
Especially in the case of a rear door, a variable molding, whose width varies along a length of the vehicle, is attached to the upper edge of the door frame, in order to improve the door's aesthetic appearance.
The door frame is typically made of metal in a given shape, and the variable molding is made of stainless steel in a variable shape whose width varies along the length of the vehicle. Thus, the variable molding has an insert molded part made of plastic to connect the variable molding and the door frame, and the insert molded part is bonded to the door frame with adhesion tape.
Also, a door weatherstrip is mounted on the door frame through a lift molding. The shape of the lift molding varies according to variation in the width of the variable molding.
In conjunction with a conventional vehicle door molding structure with an attached variable molding, there is a demand for higher strength for connection between the door frame and the variable molding to prevent the variable molding from coming off or falling out, with the aim of improving and maintaining the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle's door.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.